I have been writing about Sellers on Etsy.com which is teaming with Creative people who make items with their own hands and their own designs! I have the unique experience collaboration with so many of these sellers by being a member of the Joyful Entrepreneur and Flourish. I am able to see so many other artists and creative business owners. I am honored to be among all these talented people!

Vintage Postcard

I have been interviewing Creative Artists about how they get ready for the Autumn Season in preparation for Fall, Autumn, Halloween, and Thanksgiving (and really, the Christmas Season). There is a lot of work that goes into getting ready for the Holidays when you own your own business. Creative Artists usually are a “one person show,” designing and making the creations for you.

Amanda Hollis‘ shop SewBlondeStudio and her tagline is “Handmade things with a farmhouse style!” She loves making handmade farmhouse chic items that have a classy sophisticated, and modern rustic feel! She is living in Historic Tennessee. Amanda says “I am getting ready for the fall season, especially Thanksgiving, by thinking about what I love most about that holiday and time of year in general – family, togetherness, beautiful colors, and, of course, food!” Amanda finds getting together with family and the holiday season really assists her in designing and her inspiration for the Fall Signs she has in her shop. Personal tradition for her and family is to have a Traditional Family dinner at her parent’s home. When dinner is finished, she and her sisters scour the sales ads for any “must have sales.”

Amanda Hollis’ Art Work

Carlin Donart lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Carlin’s shop LoveAcrossTheMiles. She is the owner and sole creative for her shop. Carlin Donart’s tagline for her shop is “Making long distance [relationships] happier, one step at a time. With all the news about the flooding in Louisiana, we wish her well as well as all the Louisianians well and really good positive thoughts for the safety of people affected by the flooding.

Carlin is not only a Creative but she is also an Engineer (immediately my social work “hat” goes on… Carlin is able to use the right and left sides of her brain… Oh my, she has really balanced brain function, I have a little brain envy [not in a negative way] as I know she is much more organized than my spazzy creative brain).

Carlin’s shop is geared toward persons who are involved in long distance relationships. You are able to tell Carlin has thought hard about “long distance relationships.” She notes that the definition for her in long distance is best friends who attend different colleges or universities or best friends who graduate college and go off to first jobs that are across the country, to our nation’s military, one deployed and the other in the US or young couples separated by a distance in miles only for the time being. Carlin has been able to make the leap and connection that many businesses do not make early on, that you need to make an experience between yourself (the creative) and your buyer or customer. Carlin has tapped into that notion very well.

Carlin believes in having her seasonal items up early in the year for her shop. She had her significant other (boyfriend) in mind when she made some of her items. “The fall-themed wooden sign is my favorite piece of decor I have, and I can’t wait for the weather to cool down to hang it up!” Currently, Carlin is working on a Thanksgiving sign and a Halloween sign, so she is focusing on the general season coming up. Carlin enjoys Fall for football season, time with her family and friends, NFL games and her younger siblings. Carlin’s younger siblings will often paint with her while she visits home.

Marybeth Mullen of Beastiebabies is Ready for Pumpkin Seasons — just look at this Baby Bib with Pumpkins all over it! It gives Joy just looking at it!

BeastieBabies.etsy.com

Marybeth Mullen lives in a historic town Oregon, Ohio and the town is near Lake Erie. Marybeth says that her favorite time of year is the fall. Marybeth says that her items are “unique and made with plenty of love.” She actually begins to get ready for Fall in July (like many of the supply stores will begin to show Fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving even Christmas items in July)! As buyers, many of us want to be ready for the “best Season of the year so it is great these sellers are ready for you! She says “hooray,” for Fall!” Marybeth will have items available for you for the upcoming season and she welcomes custom items.

Marybeth says that she loves picking out all the fabrics for Fall and loves making bibs for babies and little girl skirts. She designs new bibs for Halloween, Fall Harvest and a designs a new Thanksgivings skirt each year. Marybeth has customers who return each year to purchase the “new annual designed skirt,” for their girls. Marybeth will also complete custom children’s clothing. Do go to her shop and send her an Etsy Conversation.

Fall is also the time of year when Marybeth has her traditional vacation “up north.” She meets with good friends, goes shopping, eats good food and enjoys plenty of fun kayaking on the river. Marybeth also enjoys fishing with friends. She says that the fall colors are the best this time of year and is her favorite. Fall colors are her favorites and she leaves the colors up year round. It does not matter to Marybeth that they are pumpkins and leaves. She loves them! Marybeth also loves to get new fabrics! I

It was wonderful to get know to each of these sellers more personally. We all are in a group together and I love knowing them better than before.

I have more Etsy Sellers and other handmade / handcrafted sellers coming up. I do hope you will share with your friends and let me know if you would like a feature!

You will see next Nadine Lorgeoux Jalem who lives in Florida, Kim Ringenbachwho lives in Alabama and Marilu O’Malley of CountryCuteBagDolls. I am also waiting on a couple others to get back with me answering my questions~ I really hope you will join us. If you are an Etsy Seller and would like a showcase –please write me and we can figure it out~

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Brenda Sue Landowne at B’Sue Boutiques hosted a wonderful 3 month class of more that more than 50 super creative peeps! Wow, we kept her busy and what a great Master Class “Build A Line Challenge,” (Class) sponsored by B’Sue Boutiques has been! The outcome of this Master Class was so the participants could learn to build our own brands, build our own following, have jewelry that our customers would be pleased with!

Part of the challenge was to build a line of jewelry using B’Sue Boutiques items from Brenda’s shop, choose a style that Brenda Sue approved of (so not too many of one style), and come up with a cohesive line of at least 5 pieces of jewelry. The class members are so awesome — they took off and ran with this challenge; many created a large line of jewelry! Some like me, are continuing to mull the entire process!

one piece from my line

What did I choose for my line/collection/limited edition? If you are following my blog, you know my plans. If not and you are a first time visitor: I chose to create an 1920s Egyptian Stylized Jewelry Line.

image from the internet

Egyptian style jewelry has been popular since the Egyptians designed it! Plus I love History and Culture! Many aspects of Egyptian Jewelry continues to be popular throughout the years, the lotus, beetles, palm trees, and pyramid. The discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings in 1922 caused an explosion in Egyptian inspired jewelry – fueling (for me) one of the best periods in jewelry, characterized by daring exotic designs and color combinations. Since the 1920s, the Egyptian revival trend has returned every few decades. Some of the most ornate pieces made in recent years by Joseff of Hollywood for the 1963 epic “Cleopatra,” starring Elizabeth Taylor.

We were also encouraged by our fearless leader/teacher, to learn about popular jewelry designers and designers who came before us. I love Bohemian Style Jewelry and I was able to find many designers who I could relate to as an artist!

Also since I have a love for this style of jewelry surely it would be easy to create~ NOT!

My work in this class has stretched me to my limits and beyond. I needed to think and re-learn how to create with thoughtfulness of who my customer is, what I am saying as an artist, my style, use of color pallets from Pantone’s Seasonal colors to other color theories such as “Color Me Beautiful.” There were many suggestions to consider as best practice to use for the beauty industry and to use for a jewelry business.

Summer Color palette

image from the internet

I learned that I really I like to make “one-offs” or One of a Kind Jewelry… I found how very difficult it is for me to shift into a mode of planning to make multiples of an items. I am trying to make the shift as I believe I can create more cohesively as an artist now that I have taken the class. I learned though, I have so much more to learn! I watched my fellow Jewelry designers flourish while I struggled…. However, this does not mean that I am going to give up on this process as it has been such a wonderful journey!

I did understand the concepts of class, but I still found the process as quite difficult. The Class is great! I encourage the class for anyone who is serious about learning, to take the class when it comes up again~ You will learn a great deal about yourself, your fellow designers and how to go about Creating a Line of Jewelry! What a great group of people I have worked with!

My take away~

Photography for an On-line presence is so important and I am still working on that for my business, clear, sharp pictures of my creations.

Planning on what my designs are going to be here forward– managing a supply inventory which is an intimidating task because there are so many unknown factors! I have to ask myself how many pieces do I plan to make, how deep do I need to keep my stock keeping in mind availability, and where can I can get quality items needed for my line. (B’Sue’s of course!)

I need to ask myself, am I creating a limited edition of a Full line that I make over and over with small adjustments depending on what season, or what the customer is needing at that time.

Well to close, I am so glad I participated. I am still mulling on all the new ideas and creating my Line, or Collection, or a Limited Edition!! ~Whew~

I hand patinaed my pieces, hand painted others, sanded, drilled holes, soldered, and hand wrapped wires. I used some similarity in colors for the pieces also. I started out one way…. drifted to another. I am thinking carefully now as an artist, what am I saying for this line? I am working on a price Pyramid, lowest to highest for my Line and continuing to develop pieces.

Here are some of my finished product for the Class as we will be judged for creativeness, completeness, and continuity of the pieces:

Thanks Brenda Sue, and all my fellow designers for this time together ~ this time together has been such a gift!

Note: I did not write on this blog for a long this and that is why the dates appear so random.

John William Godward artist

I am so excited that I am finally ready (almost) to open my Etsy Site. It is what I have dreamed about for a long time. I will be blogging soon about life and opening your own small business as I learn how to do this myself.
I have a blogging site on Blog Spot too. I am learning how to promote my business and the best way to talk about my crazy art, how I love to use junk in art and share my passion.

I love beads, wires, paper, glue, and see the beauty in things I want to make out of….
I will be showing how to make some of my collages, or paintings or jewelry. I think everyone has talent and a person just needs to find their medium.

First I need to find out if Word Press, Blogspot, or my ObjectsAndOddities Facebook page is the place. I hope readers will let me know the best spot for me!